JACKSONVILLE http://www.brownsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-sione-takitaki-jersey , Fla. (AP) — Leonard Fournette spent most of the second half on the sideline, a spectator in a tight game.Jacksonville’s best offensive player and one of five team captains touched the ball once in the final 30 minutes — a 25-yard carry in the fourth quarter.It made no sense, not even for the dysfunctional Jaguars.Coach Doug Marrone said the plan all week was to take a look at undrafted rookie Dave Williams, who carried five times for 32 yards in a 16-13 loss to the Washington Redskins on Sunday.“We wanted to see Williams in there,” said Marrone, whose team has dropped nine of its last 10. “He’s had a good week of practice. He’s been here working hard, so we just wanted to see him in there and see what he can do.”It was the latest head-scratching move for a franchise that should be desperate for wins. Maybe the Jaguars (4-10) have a different agenda, one that’s more concerned about the future — maybe even getting a top-five draft pick — than avoiding further failure this season.Here’s what Jacksonville has done in recent weeks:—Benched quarterback Blake Bortles and replaced him with Cody Kessler . Bortles didn’t play well before he was benched, but Kessler has managed one touchdown in 31 drives over the last three games.—Benched defensive tackle Malik Jackson in favor of Abry Jones and rookie Taven Bryan. Jackson has been a disappointment since making the Pro Bowl last season, but no defensive improvements have been made with Jones and Bryan.—Benched and later waived veteran safety Barry Church . It’s hard to argue with moving on from Church, a 30-year-old defensive back who clearly had lost a step. But after losing rookie Ronnie Harrison (knee) and Jarrod Wilson (ankle) against the Redskins, special teams ace Cody Davis ended up on the field for Washington’s two scoring drives in the fourth quarter.—Made running back Carlos Hyde a healthy scratch against Washington Sheldrick Redwine Jersey , a clear sign his days in Jacksonville are done. The Jaguars traded a fifth-round pick to Cleveland for Hyde in October, and he’s due to make $4.75 million in 2019.“We think those players have worked extremely hard and that they give enough that we’re not losing much with them, so we want to get up there and see what they can do,” Marrone said. “That’s exactly what the thought process is.”Marrone insists he has no assurances he will be back next season, making his most curious personnel decisions seems even stranger.With Kessler playing behind a makeshift offensive line — the Jaguars have one O-line starter, right guard A.J. Cann, remaining from the season opener — Fournette would seem like the team’s best option against the Redskins. After all, Marrone even had Fournette returning kickoffs for the first time since his freshman year at LSU.But Fournette finished with 11 carries for 46 yards and three catches for 18 yards.“I don’t know how many I had, to be honest,” said Fournette, who missed six games early in the season because of an injury and another because of a suspension. “It’s all about winning at the end of the day.”Kessler completed 9 of 17 passes for 57 yards, with an interception that set up the winning field goal and a fumble that set up Washington’s first score. Kessler also was the team’s leading rusher with 68 yards.Fournette watched most of the game unfold from the bench.“We tried to fight back http://www.brownsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-austin-seibert-jersey , but like I said, at the end of the day it’s the little things that separate the winners and the losers,” Fournette said. “It’s hard. It’s very hard, especially with how the season gone. Just got to keep fighting.”
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NOTE: The stories slugged Black History-Game Changers are part of AP’s coverage during Black History Month of how African-American athletes have used their platforms during the last 100 years to influence social and political change. Please see the Black History Month advisory for more details on the series.

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WEDNESDAY, Jan. 31

WRE-WAHINE WRESTLERS

FREMONT, Neb. – Welina Tong tried wrestling for the first time when she was a junior in high school and fell in love with the sport so deeply that she was willing to move 4 Trysten Hill Jersey ,000 miles from her home in Hawaii to the snowy plains of Nebraska to continue competing. She’s not alone. She and three other women from the women’s wrestling hotbed of Hawaii are on the team at Midland University. The 1,400-student school is among three dozen small colleges that have started women’s wresting programs. With more than 14,000 girls participating in high school wrestling, the sport is growing rapidly and on track to gain greater recognition by the NAIA and NCAA. By Eric Olson. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos, video by 3 a.m. Wednesday.

BKC–WASHINGTON-INSIDE LOOK

SEATTLE – One of the most surprising stories in college basketball is what Mike Hopkins is doing in his first season at Washington. Hopkins provided The Associated Press an inside look at his first-year program to try and explain how the Huskies are in the conversation for an NCAA bid entering February, an idea that seemed unfathomable back in October. By Tim Booth. UPCOMING: 1,000 words, photos and video by 12 p.m. Wednesday.

THURSDAY, Feb. 1

BLACK HISTORY-GAME CHANGERS

Some of the top NFL players say they have been racially profiled, or had a family member or friend who has been. Yes, Colin Kaepernick is out of work and mostly out of the spotlight after starting the latest chapter of black athletes using their sports platforms to make America uncomfortable by raising awareness on racially charged issues in an effort to bring about social and political change. But the issues that spurred him to kneel silently are still very much a part of people of color’s daily lives. And like athletes that have taken a stand before them http://www.cowboysauthorizedshops.com/authentic-connor-mcgovern-jersey , many believe the struggle against injustice must continue. By Errin Haines Whack and Fred Goodall. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos and video.

FRIDAY, Feb. 2

BLACK HISTORY-GAME CHANGERS-KAEPERNICK

Colin Kaepernick knew he was sending a message when he first refused to stand during the national anthem, before a preseason game in 2016. He probably never would’ve guessed the price he would pay. Because of the efforts of the now-unemployed quarterback, the days of excluding politics and social issues from sports appear to be over, and those who have followed Kaepernick’s lead are feeling more and more empowered to use their platform for something other than mere fun and games. By National Writer Eddie Pells. UPCOMING: 950 words, photos and video by 3 a.m. Friday.

BLACK HISTORY-GAME CHANGERS-BLACK ATHLETES

Sports and race have been intertwined in America’s journey to become a more perfect union, and black athletes have often found themselves at the center of the struggle for racial progress. From Jack Johnson’s defiance outside of the boxing ring, thumbing his nose at segregation and challenging notions of black inferiority to former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s decision to kneel silently during the national anthem ahead of NFL games that many point to as the reason he is now out of the league, black athletes have protested for generations in ways large and small in an effort to highlight injustice, expose hypocrisy and move the country forward. Often met with hate by fans uninterested in mixing sports and social issues, many have taken stances that risk their careers Tony Pollard Jersey , choosing race over the games they love. Where does that leave us? By AP National Writer Errin Haines Whack. UPCOMING: 1,200 words, photos and video by 1 p.m. Friday.

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Again, if you have questions about the Sports Showcase Digest or the material listed, please reach out to Oskar Garcia, assistant sports editor for the U.S. east region, at 215-446-6632 or at ogarcia(at)ap.org.

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